Charleston, WV – Skiers and snowboarders can now head to the mountains of West Virginia as the first downhill area is open for the 2012/2013 season. Snowshoe Mountain opened Wednesday, November 21, Over 40 acres are available at the Snowshoe and Silver Creek areas.

“The skiers and snowboarders are finding very nice early season conditions right now,” says Dave Dekema, Snowshoe Mountain’s Marketing Director. “We are looking to open additional slopes very soon.”

Other West Virginia Ski Resorts will be opening soon as Timberline and Winterplace are all planning to open Friday, December 21 and Canaan Valley on December 26.

The snowmakers at all of the state’s ski resorts can produce manmade snow whenever temperatures permit, allowing the industry’s unsung heroes to cover the slopes for skiers and snowboarders. When snowmaking conditions are at their best (in the low teens), over 20,000 tons of snow is being produced in West Virginia per hour, enough snow to cover 20 football fields with a foot of snow each hour

The mountain state’s resorts annually attract over 800,000 skier visits, which was off about 15 percent last year, due to the delayed opening and mild season long temperatures. “It’s great to open on time,” says Terry Pfeiffer, President of the West Virginia Ski Areas Association. The top states providing skiers and snowboarders visiting West Virginia slopes are Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio and Florida.

The ski and snowboard season traditionally, weather permitting, continues from Thanksgiving through early April. The five-month long ski season in West Virginia has an estimated economic impact of over $250 million and 5,000 jobs at the resorts and other related companies. For more information on skiing and snowboarding in West Virginia like us on Facebook at West Virginia Ski Area Association.